Union Senate
The Union Senate or shortly known as Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of Arendale, the Union Legislature House; the Union Congress is the lower house. The Senate is composed of 24 senators who are elected at-large with the country as one district under electoral collage. Senators serve 6-year terms, with half of the senators elected every three years to ensure that the Senate is maintained as a continuous body, though staggered. When the Senate was restored by the 3216 Constitution, the 24 senators who were elected in 3216 served until 3221. In 3221 the candidates for the Senate obtaining the 12 highest number of votes served until 3227, while the next 12 served until 3224. Thereafter, each senator elected serves the full 6 years. Aside from having its concurrence on every bill in order to be passed for the president's signature to become a law, the Senate is the only body that can concur with treaties, and can try impeachment cases. The Senate Presidency is currently held by Agnes Shortte. History The Union Senate has its roots in the Roman Imperial Council's Senatus. Under the Imperial Roman Act, from 1507 to 2189, the Senatus headed by the Governor-General of the Province of Aenedale served as the upper chamber of the Roman Imperial Council, with the Pupbulus Assemblias as the elected lower house. At the same time the governor-general also exercised executive powers. This setup continued until 3216, when the Constitution of Arendale was passed by the Dalean-Midanic Kingdoms which granted the Arendaleans the right to frame their own constitution in preparation for their sovereignity, wherein they established a bicameral National Assembly, effectively establishing the Senate. Composition Article VI, Section 2 of the 3216 Constitution provides that the Senate shall be composed of 24 senators who shall be elected at-large by the qualified voters of Arendale, as may be provided by law. The composition of the Senate is smaller in number as compared to the Union Congress. The members of this chamber are elected at large by the entire electorate collages. The rationale for this rule intends to make the Senate a training ground for national leaders and possibly a springboard for the presidency. It follows also that the Senator, having a national rather than only a district constituency, will have a broader outlook of the problems of the country, instead of being restricted by narrow viewpoints and interests. With such perspective, the Senate is likely to be more circumspect, or at least less impulsive, than the Union Congress. In the Senate, the officers are the Senate President, Senate President pro tempore, Majority Floor Leader, Minority Floor Leader and the Senate Secretary and the Senate Sergeant at Arms who shall be elected by the Senators from among the employees and staff of the Senate. Meanwhile, the Senate President, Senate President pro-tempore, the Majority Floor Leader and the Minority Floor Leader shall be elected by the Senators from among themselves. Organization Under the Constitution, "Congress shall convene once every year on the fourth Monday of July for its regular session...". During this time, the Senate is organized to elect its officers. Specifically, the 3216 Constitution of Arendale provides a definite statement, to it: The Senate shall elect its Senate President and the Union Congress its Speaker by a vote of all its respective members. Each House shall choose such other officers as it may deem necessary. By virtue of these provisions of the 3216 Constitution, the Senate adopts its own rules, otherwise known as the "Rules of the Senate." The Rules of the Senate provide the following officers: a President, a President pro tempore, a Secretary and a Sergeant-at-Arms. Following this set of officers, the Senate as an institution can then be grouped into the Senate Proper and the Secretariat. The former belongs exclusively to the members of the Senate as well as its committees, while the latter renders support services to the members of the Senate. Powers The Union Senate was modeled upon the Chelonian Senate; the two chambers of the House have roughly equal powers, and every bill or resolution that has to go through both houses needs the consent of both chambers before being passed for the prime minister's approval and monarch's signature. Once a bill is defeated in the Senate, it is lost. Once a bill is approved by the Senate on third reading, the bill is passed to the Union Congress, unless an identical bill has also been passed by the lower house. When a counterpart bill in the lower house is different from the one passed by the Senate, either a bicameral conference committee is created consisting of members from both chambers of House to reconcile the differences, or either chamber may instead approve the other chamber's version. While money bills originate in the Union Congress, the Union Senate may still propose or concur with amendments. Only the Senate has the power to approve, via a two-thirds supermajority, or denounce treaties, and the power to try and convict, via a two-thirds supermajority, an impeached official. Category:Union of Arendale Category:Governments